Why Is Brier Fork Of The Flint River Running So Muddy?
Allison from the Flint River Conservation Alliance (Madison County, Alabama) sent me these pictures that she took yesterday. She noticed that Brier Fork of the Flint River is running really muddy, while the main stem of the river is relatively clear. The first and third pictures below show the contrast where Brier Fork runs into the Flint at Winchester Road. The contrast is strong. She also drove up Brier Fork as far as Highway 431 and the stream was muddy all the way up. No one knows exactly why the fork has such a high sediment load. My own guess is that several sources are contributing to this as Brier Fork's drainage is still subject to lots of construction and road tweaking, and many contractors around here are sloppy about sediment fences.
This is unfortunate since it's Brier Fork that contains a disproportionate share of the vulnerable aquatic species in the greater Flint system, species such as slackwater darters and (scattered) flame chubs. Given that this is Alabama, state authorities aren't exactly all over the situation.
posted by Bruce Stallsmith @ 3:54 PM
2 comments
2 Comments:
I'm SO shocked that ADEM hasn't already identified and fixed this problem (cough).
That does look really bad. I notice that sort of thing up here every time we have a heavy rain.
I have seen similiar events and have traced then back to ONE site, and it can be relativily small. A recent ground clearing or plowing, maybe a small housing development. It is amazing and disappointing how ONE acre of disturbed ground can silt such a long, long stretch of a pristine stream or small river. Bad timing a farmer might say.
To find the culprit you have to first see it at the right time and then be able to back track it to the source... right then and there. Photographs tell the tale, offering proof.
Years ago, i pointed out to Alabama authorities that gravel was being frontloadered out of the upper Paint Rock streambed to no avail.
casper
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